Global metal titans As I Lay Dying kick off their second decade together with Awakened, the sixth and hands-down most powerful release of a stunning career. Seething with metallic vitriol, overflowing with energy, and rich with the kind of melody that irrevocably implants itself in the listener’s mind, it is the sound of a band pushing themselves to outdo everything that has come before, be it their own previous work, or that of their contemporaries, and daring all to do better. From the flurry of blastbeats and mauled guitar that kick off opener "Cauterize" to the epic darkness of closer "Tear Out My Eyes", the musicianship and arrangements are consistently riveting, the band showcasing their strengths while subtly introducing thrilling new elements to their sound. "There’s nothing totally out of left-field, we just refined our songwriting and incorporated some ideas that bring a real freshness to the record," guitarist Phil Sgrosso states. "We wanted something that was a lot bigger and more open sounding, and that’s exactly what we achieved." "Going into this one, in the back of my mind was always ’How are people going to react to this when we play it live?’ So there’s still plenty of fast stuff on this record, but there’s more grooves and some different vibes going on," Sgrosso explains. Lyrically speaking, Awakened sees vocalist Tim Lambesis move away from the outward themes of The Powerless Rise, in favor of a more introspective approach. While his lyrics have always